Donations sought for family whose daughter, 9, died in Carbon house fire

FILE PHOTO / THE MORNING CALL

The Carbon County coroner on Sunday said 9-year-old Vahnne Gower died early Saturday in a house fire in Mahoning Township.

The Carbon County coroner on Sunday said 9-year-old Vahnne Gower died early Saturday in a house fire in Mahoning Township. (FILE PHOTO / THE MORNING CALL)

Anthony SalamoneOf The Morning Call

MAHONING TOWNSHIP, Carbon County -- Donations are being accepted and fundraisers are being held to benefit a Carbon County family who lost their home and a child Saturday in a fire.

Carbon County Coroner Robert Miller said Sunday that 9-year-old Vahnne Gower died in the fire from asphyxiation after inhaling carbon monoxide.

The fire started shortly before 1:30 a.m. at a home at 357 Beaver Run Drive, Miller said. The fire was out at about 4:10 a.m., but the home was destroyed, Miller said.

Heather Fiorentino, a next-door neighbor of the Gowers’, said she and other residents are taking donations to help the family, including clothing, shoes and other items. People who are interested in helping can contact Fiorentino at 610-390-3566 or email hfiorentino47@gmail.com. Another fundraiser has been set on Facebook to help the Gower family. The link is: facebook.com/donate/629852447211632/629883957208481/

Fiorentino said she was awakened about 1:30 a.m. to noise that sounded like thunder. “They said it was probably from the windows blowing out,” she said.

The Red Cross will be providing the family with financial assistance, spokesman Dave Skutnik said. The agency has also provided the family with counseling, he said.

In addition, the Red Cross plans to visit the community Monday afternoon to provide fire safety information and install free smoke alarms. “That’s pretty typical after a fatal fire,” he said. “People are more receptive.”

Miller, who pronounced Vahnne Gower dead at 2:35 a.m., said Sunday the girl’s mother appeared to be uninjured. The father and a son were taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest with burn injuries. He said the father was burned badly, while the son’s injures appeared to be less serious.

Miller did not have the names of the other family members, saying the mother had spoken with state police at Lehighton, who are handling the investigation. State police on Sunday declined to provide further details